how well will this perform

[soupnatizzle]

ive posted alot on these forums asking about parts and what to buy, i deisded to order tonight and i am going to post my final choices for last minuet checks and critecs



AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Windsor 2000MHz HT 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Dual Core here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103747)

XFX Geforce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card
here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150149)

CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145098)

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131013)

SeaSonic S12-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151024)

thats my build, now iver heard that a gaming computer cant be built for under a grand but i dont understand why not, this rig has a high end videocard, fast proccessor (top 5 or 6 you can buy) rocksolid mobo plenty or ram and room for upgrading.. if i ever wanted to, (add another videocard when they drop in price.. so is this not a good gaming PC?

and any thoughs on anything post your comments please.. thank you for your time

[saphalline]

now iver heard that a gaming computer cant be built for under a grand but i dont understand why notIt's getting easier, but you still wouldn't be able to squeeze in that 7900 GT if you had to build the whole system from scratch. As in, throw in the cost of a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers - and $1000 gets very slim very quickly. Especially if you factor in the cost of gaming-worthy peripherals (the cheapest monitor and a $15 mouse just don't cut it). Then there are other practical needs for a PC in general, such as a printer and surge protector that many people need in order to justify having a computer in the first place. So the answer is yes and no. If you have everything else and are just replacing "the box", then $1000 is easy. But if you have to buy everything from scratch, it's considerably more difficult.

I would make a few changes to your config. First of all, a 4200+ is nice, but a 3800+ is actually better when it comes to DDR2 RAM efficiency. The 2.0 GHz clock speed of the 3800+ ensures a perfect match with DDR2-800 RAM speed in relation to the onboard memory controller and subsequent CPU:RAM ratios. In other words, the CPU speed must be divisible by 400 in order to get a perfect match with DDR2-800. The 4200+/4400+ runs at 2.2 GHz, which results in DDR2-800 RAM being run at only 733 MHz.

Going along with that, yes, I recommend DDR2-800 for a Socket AM2 gaming system. That's the only way Socket AM2 can compete with Socket 939 for RAM efficiency. The latencies on DDR2 are atrocious, and benchmarks have shown that AMD's K8-based CPU's need lower relative latencies to stay happy. And if you can't lower the latencies, you have to increase the speed of the RAM. DDR2-800 makes the most sense in terms of gaming performance. Get something like this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220144) instead.

That's all I have to offer. Everything else looks good.

[soupnatizzle]

thank you for the quick reply but im a little confused..

you recomended not getting the 4200+ CPU because of ram incompatability, but then recomened diffrent type of ram im a little fussy on this part, the new ram you recomended will work well with the 4200+ cpu im hoping that is the CPU would really like to get, considerable fast for only 30 bucks more..

so the Patriot Dual Channel 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel will work well with the 4200? or the 3800?

after rereading im getting the impression that the 3800 is a better choice i would really like to stay with the 4200 if at all possible, woild the reduction of the ram to 733 connter act the added speed of the CPU?

[soupnatizzle]

im confused now, would i just be better off building a computer using the socket 939? i mean they are around the same price and i wouldent get into this ram confustion.

this might be a hard question to answer but taking things like upgradabilty in the futre and overall bang for the buck, would i be better off building a system using 939 or AM2?

i mean is there any real advantage at all in the newer socket, i was lead to believe that ddr2 was faster and more efficient and that ultimatly made my mind up for me, its newer a little cheaper in the CPU department but if i cant get the CPU i want i think i might go with 939

lol sorry for all this reading but what about this CPU AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2000MHz HT 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Dual Core here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103751)
will this CPU work as well with the RAM as the 3800?

[saphalline]

you recomended not getting the 4200+ CPU because of ram incompatability, but then recomened diffrent type of ramYou're building a gaming machine. The new Socket AM2 processors are designed to perform the best with DDR2-800. Why go for anything slower in a gaming machine?

after rereading im getting the impression that the 3800 is a better choice i would really like to stay with the 4200 if at all possible, woild the reduction of the ram to 733 connter act the added speed of the CPU?Essentially yes, it will. Having the RAM at a slower speed, in addition to the relatively high latencies, will hinder the efficiency of the memory controller despite the higher CPU clock speed. So at the higher 2.2 GHz clock speed, the memory controller will actually be spending more time waiting for the RAM, because the memory controller will be operating faster and the RAM will be slower. Look up the benchmarks for yourself.

this might be a hard question to answer but taking things like upgradabilty in the futre and overall bang for the buck, would i be better off building a system using 939 or AM2?Socket AM2, of course. It's the newest socket and has the latest chipsets, not to mention the future chipsets that will be offered. Besides, no new Socket 939 CPU's will be made. The FX-62 and X2 4800+ are it. End of the line. 939 is done. Contrast that to Socket AM2, which is boasting the arrival of the X2 5000+ and higher, not to mention it will support the new upcoming CPU's (these will be AMD's answer to Intel's Core CPU's).

i was lead to believe that ddr2 was faster and more efficientNot yet. DDR2-800 marks the start of DDR2 surpassing DDR in terms sheer performance and efficiency. DDR2-1066 and higher will be speed bins that finally trump DDR400 at everything. But other than mere performance, DDR2 was adopted for other reasons. Such as its lower power consumption and higher density, which will allow for 4GB modules in the not too distant future. Even now, 2GB modules are supported. Take a look at the mobo you picked out - 4 DIMM slots with a max of 8GB of RAM supported. DDR can't do that!

For future planning, I wholeheartedly recommend Socket AM2. It's new, it's cheap, and it's better overall. But designing a gaming system around it can get a little confusing. Keep in mind that I'm making the same recommendations to you that I would use in designing my own Socket AM2 system. And indeed, I've already helped my friend Orion do just this. Just a few days ago, we assembled his new Socket AM2 core, complete with a 2.0 GHz 4000+ Windsor, that same mobo you picked out, and a set of 2 x 1GB Corsair XMS2 Twin2X2048-6400 modules (they were on sale with a $30 rebate :D). He also has a factory OC'ed 7900 GT (eVGA, I think) and this sucker plays Oblivion like you wouldn't believe! His CPU score in 3DMark 06 (standard settings) more than doubled over his previous A64 3000+ Venice. But the key to squeezing the most performance out of a Socket AM2 CPU is to use DDR2-800 RAM.

[soupnatizzle]

wow, you are a very very helpfull poster, i thank you for your help, i will be staying with AM2 and i have been talked into getting this CPU here AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2000MHz HT 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Dual Core hopfully this will not have problems working right with ddr2-800 as its operating frequency is 2.4

[jlreich]

Just to add my two cents. Right now 939 is still good enough and it's easy. Getting a good setup is easy as quality DDR400, nForce ultra or SLI mobo, best video card you can afford, and then the best CPU for your budget . But s939 will be struggling to keep up in a year or less.If you go with 939 I think you will be sorry in a short time.

AM2 is the only way to go with a new gaming system. The only pain is now we have to match the ram. But that's not difficult once you understand that DDR2800 is the way to go and to get a CPU that has a clock speed that is divisible by 400 so it is in sync with the DDR2800. You can't really get a good match with DDR2667. Yeah DDR2800 cost more but that is offset by getting a slower CPU that matches DDR2800 while yet getting better overall performance. Or if budget allows stepping up a notch.

Well enough of my rambling. :p

[TopChip7]

What about the parts you have NOT listed?

Hard Disk Drive - SATA II
DVD RW
Quality Case With Good Cooling Ability
Fans etc

All pumps up the price dont it

[soupnatizzle]

i have all of that..